With the increase in texting, apps, sophisticated cameras, and more, improving smart-phone voice quality has been a low priority for manufacturers and carriers, as demonstrated by the generally ho-hum scores for that attribute in our Ratings. But Sprint promises to change this with an impressive technology called HD Voice
The company demonstrated HD Voice this week at a preview for its upcoming smart phone, the HTC Evo 4G LTE, available sometime in Q2 for $200 with a two-year contract.
HD Voice essentially has two components: A second sound-sampling microphone on phones like the new Evo, to reduce background noise, and a separate highway within Sprint's existing 3G and 4G networks that will carry HD Voice signals. The result, the company claims, is "fuller, more natural-sounding and less fatiguing voice quality" and a reduction in "troublesome background noises," especially outdoors.
Sprint demonstrated HD Voice for me at a press preview in New York City Wednesday, and it seemed to work well. Using both the EVO 4G LTE and an older EVO model, I carried on a conversation with another Sprint employee who also had both phones. Each of us was in our own sound-dampening booth.
When speaking on the older EVO model, voices sounded typically tinny. But on the EVO 4G LTE, it was as though the Sprint rep was speaking directly into my ear. I could even hear the sound of his lips moving.
To test the ability of HD Voice and the new EVO to quell background noise, Sprint continued the experiment with music blasting over boomboxes that were in the rooms with us. While conversations became unintelligible with the older EVO, we had little trouble understanding one another on the EVO 4G LTEs. In fact, I could barely hear any background noise from his end, despite the blaring boombox.
Before you get too excited, some caveats. HD Voice only works between HD Voice-equipped phones, and so far, that means from one EVO 4G LTE to another. Also, even new EVOs will use older voice technology and signals to communicate unless both phones happen to be in areas that have HD Voice network coverage.
Fortunately, voice-quality innovation isn't all that's worthy about the EVO 4G LTE. It sports a 4.7-inch LCD HD display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and dual cameras (one 8-megapixel rear-facing, one 1.3-megapixel front-facing). The rear camera uses technology, similar to that on the HTC One, which allows you capture still pictures as you're shooting a video, as well as grab additional stills while you're reviewing the video. HTC also brought back the kickstand from the first-generation EVO, as you can see in the photo.
And, as its name implies, the new EVO will be the first phone to run on the carrier's new LTE 4G network that will begin to deploy in "select" markets later this year, with "full" coverage by the end of 2013. Sprint claims it remains committed to WiMax, the carrier's current 4G network, which is also built into most of its current smart phones. But at the event, a Sprint official told me that WiMax was now "Clearwire's problem," which probably means you won't see many new Wi-Max-equipped Sprint phones from now on.
Bottom line: The EVO 4G LTE appears to be a promising phone on a promising network. And HD Voice is an admirable effort that promises to up the bar in voice quality. It's an open question, however, whether any other carriers will respond to HD Voice's call.
—Mike Gikas
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